Fontaine v. United States
411 U.S. 213 · Decided April 2, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Fontaine v. United States was decided on April 2, 1973 by a vote of 8–1. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Involuntary confession” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 411 U.S. 213 · 93 S. Ct. 1461 · 36 L. Ed. 2d 169 · 1973 U.S. LEXIS 86
- Docket number
- 71-6757
- Decided
- April 2, 1973
- Argued
- February 28, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Involuntary confession
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Fontaine v. United States
SCDB identifiers: case 1972-090, docket 1972-090-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Involuntary confession”
- Lavallee v. Delle Rose
- Swenson v. Stidham
- Beecher v. Alabama
- Lego v. Twomey
- Procunier v. Atchley
- Brown v. Illinois
Cases on the same legal provision: 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241–2255 (habeas corpus)
- Hensley v. Municipal Court
- Braden v. 30TH Judicial Circuit Court of KentuckyAltered precedent
- Neil v. Biggers
- Boyd v. Dutton
- Davis v. United States
- Picard v. Connor
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Murch v. Mottram
- Webb v. Texas
- Cool v. United States
- Neil v. Biggers
- Swenson v. Stidham
- One Lot Emerald Cut Stones and One Ring v. United States
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error